KUALA LUMPUR: A Singaporean and five Indonesians are believed to be fighting with the pro-Islamic State Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in the southern Philippines where the army has launched air and ground assaults to pre-empt bombings ahead of Eid Fitr celebrations.

The military operations, launched on Sunday (Jun 10), has killed 26 BIFF militants, according to the Philippine army, revising down the initial figure of 28 fatalities. Another soldier and one civilian were also killed.

“We are currently checking to see whether the five Indonesians and one Singaporean are among those militants who were killed,” Lieutenant-Colonel Gerry Besana, spokesman for Western Mindanao Command, told Channel NewsAsia.

“The foreign fighters are members of the Daulah Islamiyah Mindanao but they are fighting alongside BIFF and are believed to be in the area where current military operations are ongoing,” said Besana.

On Tuesday, the army said information on the ground revealed that BIFF was planning to launch large-scale bombings in several cities in Mindanao before the onset of Eid Fitr celebrations.

The Singaporean and Indonesian foreign fighters are believed to have entered Mindanao island last year to take part in the siege of Marawi city, according to the military.

“We don’t know the exact date they (foreign fighters) entered Mindanao but it was during the time of the fighting in Marawi city,” said Besana.

“We believe they entered Mindanao via coastal areas like General Santos City to make their way to Marawi city. But due to military operations, they were contained in the Liguasan Marsh up until today," said Besana.

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Maria Sison confirmed on Wednesday that a stand-down, or a preliminary ceasefire agreement, has been reached by the peace panels in back-channel talks in the Netherlands.

In a statement to reporters on Wednesday, Sison said the informal talks between the government and communist rebels were successful and formal peace negotiations were scheduled to resume on June 28 in Oslo, Norway.

“Stand-down means stay where you are and do not shoot at the other side,” Sison said.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Malacañang would leave it to presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza to comment on Sison’s statement.

Delayed scheduleAccording to Sison, the chief political consultant to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in the talks, communist New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas and government troops would be ordered to stand down on June 21.

He explained that a plan to declare a ceasefire on June 14 had been postponed “because of the delayed court permission for the six NDFP consultants to surface and travel.”

He was referring to Benito Tiamzon, believed to be the CPP chair, and five senior CPP leaders — Rafael Baylosis, Alan Jazmines, Randal Echanis, Vicente Ladlad and Adelberto Silva — who had petitioned two separate Metro Manila courts to be allowed to travel to Europe as early as June 3.

Last week, the courts gave the six NDFP consultants permission to travel overseas.

“The stand-down agreement is an act of mutual goodwill to stimulate the resumption of formal peace talks. It is also to prepare for the coordinated unilateral ceasefires, which are a more advanced form of ceasefire,” Sison said.

Bilateral ceasefire planAfter the government and the rebels declare their separate unilateral ceasefire, the negotiating panels may push for a bilateral ceasefire, depending on the outcome of the peace talks.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines public affairs office chief, Col. Noel Detoyato, expressed optimism that the stand-down agreement would enable formal negotiations and lead to a peaceful settlement of the 49-year-old communist insurgency.

In a statement, Detoyato said the military “will always support the peace efforts of our government and we believe that this will pave the way toward a peaceful resolution of the decades-old challenge that peace-loving Filipinos has been longing for.”

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier expressed skepticism about the rebels’ sincerity, saying the CPP and the NPA might not abide by the terms of the stand-down accord.

Lorenzana claimed the rebels might use the temporary truce for recruitment and expansion of their areas.

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jun 13): Army, NPA clash in Masbate townArmy soldiers and suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) had an encounter in San Jacinto town in Masbate province early morning Wednesday.

Capt. Joash Pramis, spokesperson of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division, said government soldiers were on combat operation when they chanced upon NPA rebels in Barangay Bagacay around 6:30 a.m.After the two-minute firefight, the rebels retreated, leaving behind an M635 assault rifle, assorted ammunition, improvised explosive device and a backpack.

From the New Security Beat (Jun 11): Weakened by the Storm: Disasters and the Fighting Capacity of Armed Groups in the Philippines (By Collin Walch)

Many studies on natural disasters and conflict have assumed that disasters make it easier for rebel groups to recruit new members by fueling grievances against the government and lowering the opportunity costs of joining an insurgency, and that this recruitment will increase conflict. But disasters may actually have the opposite effect. My study of rebel groups in the Philippines, recently published in the Journal of Peace Research, suggests that by weakening the organizational structure and supply lines of rebel groups and their ability to enlist new fighters, disasters may instead reduce the intensity of the conflict, rather than increase it.

Disasters Change the Dynamics of Civil Conflicts

Previous research on disaster and rebel groups is based on two problematic assumptions: that natural disasters affect the warring parties similarly; and that governments will be weakened by the disaster enough for rebel groups to attack.

But disasters have different impacts on each side of a conflict. For example, rebel groups that hide in the forest in makeshift shelters are more affected by extreme weather than government forces that stay in hard-built barracks. And large-scale disasters usually bring aid from richer governments and financial institutions. Rebel groups do not have access to this international aid, or to loans and insurance, making them less able to recover from the impact of a disaster.

Devastating disasters induce scarcity for rebel combatants and supporters, weakening the rebel group’s logistics and supply lines, as well as its capacity to recruit disaster victims.

Significant state government assistance—in collaboration with the international humanitarian actors in rebel areas—leads to the loss of rebel groups’ territorial control, making recruitment activities more complicated and risky.

Together, these factors represent temporary setbacks for rebel groups, which significantly affect the dynamics of the civil conflict, particularly by increasing the government’s territorial control of rebel areas.

Typhoons and Armed Groups in the Philippines

Supertyphoons Haiyan (2013) and Bopha (2012) affected two regions of the Philippines partially controlled by the communist rebel group, the New People’s Army (NPA). Over 2013-2015, I conducted four months of field research and 50 interviews with rebel groups, Philippines armed forces, UN and NGO representatives, and members of the civil society. The vast majority of the people I interviewed agreed that natural disasters limited the NPA’s recruitment activities in the post-disaster response and recovery period (a timeframe estimated as nine months).

Due to the disasters, NPA combatants lost contact with their commanders and moved to other regions of the country to find food and shelter, thus giving up their territorial control. Recognizing this complicated the NPA’s position, the Philippine armed forces used disaster relief as a strategy to buy civilian loyalty in the regions that used to be under rebel control. The increased scarcity of food and resources, weakened communications and supply lines, and the surge of national and international actors in some rebel areas greatly reduced the NPA’s access to the affected communities and thus limited its ability to recruit aggrieved disaster victims.

Instead of increasing conflict, it seems that these two natural disasters had some pacifying effects, at least in the post-disaster recovery period that I studied. For example, the increased territorial control by the government following the two typhoons led to the capture of two of the most important leaders of the NPA in 2014. A handful of other recent studies have also found that disasters have pacifying effects, creating opportunities for peace processes to take hold.

However, my interviews suggest that it is unlikely that these natural disasters will totally weaken the NPA, as natural disasters are localized and rarely affect the entire country. These disasters weakened the rebel group for a time and in a specific region, limiting its recruitment activities. But it is unlikely that the disasters’ impacts are enough to force the insurgency to end.

The micro-level evidence provided by this article may help inform an unsettled debate on the impact of disaster on conflict. Given the ongoing exposure of the Philippines to both natural disasters and armed conflict, the country represents a “hot-spot” where a strong link between disaster and conflict should be expected. But my study suggests that the state’s physical capacity to deliver aid and to channel international assistance prevented rebel groups from taking advantage of the situation. In addition, the level of scarcity may depend on the rebels’ physical exposure to the impacts of the disaster. Therefore, the combination of the typhoons’ localized impacts and the presence of government and international humanitarian actors in the rebel group control area weakened recruitment activities in the post-disaster period.

The Importance of the State and Conflict Actors

The ways in which conflict dynamics are affected by natural disasters are mediated by a wide range of context-specific factors that vary across countries and regions. The nature of a country’s response and its interaction with international humanitarian actors shape the extent to which rebels are able to take advantage of the disaster. When the state is weak, unable or unwilling to provide relief, and reluctant to work with international actors, it leaves space for the rebel group to fill the void and recruit disaster victims. For example, Mali’s weak and biased state institutions make it easier for rebel groups to recruit new members following droughts.

Unlike previous research, this study closely examines the behaviors, opportunity, and motive of all the actors—the rebels, the civilians, the state, and the international humanitarian organizations. While natural disasters are increasingly seen by policymakers as potentially increasing armed conflict, this study shows that natural disasters do not always lead to increased recruitment and conflict.

Contextual factors—such as the strength of state institutions, military decisions, international response, and the magnitude of disaster impact—are critical to understanding under exactly which conditions disaster may lead to increased conflict. Future research should certainly continue exploring the behavior of the actors in armed conflict as they determine—to a large extent—the resilience of communities to disasters and armed violence.

[Colin Walch is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, and an assistant professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University. Colin Walch conducts research on the links between disasters and armed conflict, with a focus on the micro-level. He also explores ways to conduct disaster risk reduction in fragile and conflict-affected countries. His most recent work has been published in Nature, Political Geography, Climate and Development and the Journal of Peace Research. Previously, Colin worked in various NGOs in Liberia and Colombia on peacebuilding and environmental issues.]

A group of foreign experts have visited the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the south as the country's House and Senate approved their versions of proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) on third and final reading.

The delegation, composed of Turkey Ambassador to Luxenburg, Germany Levent Sahinkaya, other diplomats from Norway, Brunei and National staff representatives from the two parties (GPH-MILF), met with MILF Chairman Al haj Murad Ebrahim with some MILF Central Committee members and Officers of Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) recently at Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat.

Ambassador Sahinkaya, head of the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB), expressed his group’s support to the peace process, and the passage of the BBL that is compliant to signed peace deals.

IDB is created by the peace process between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GPH-MILF) to oversee the decommissioning of MILF Combatants once an acceptable Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is passed by congress, and approved in a plebiscite. It regularly coordinates with the MILF Central Committee to get updates on the progress of the GPH-MILF peace process.

The MILF turned over its first batch of arms on June 16, 2015, as the first phase of the decommissioning program began, in ceremonies witnessed by erstwhile President Aquino and foreign observers at the old Maguindanao Capitol, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

This aims to put the arms and forces of the rebel group beyond use as agreed by the Parties under the Annex on Normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

The seventy-five (75) weapons from the one hundred forty-five (145) decommissioned Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) members are now in the hands of the IDP.

That time, the IDB was headed by Turkey’s former ambassador to NATO, Haydar Berk. Its other members were Jan Erik Wilhemsen from Norway, Maj. Muhammad Aiman Syazwi Bin Haji Abdul Rahim from Brunei, and local experts, AFP ret. Lt. Gen. Rey Ardor, Dr. Mario Aguja, Von Al-Haq and Jannati Mimbantas.

The MILF chair provided updates to the delegation on the general situation in Bangsamoro homeland for the mostly foreigner visitors, giving emphasis on the status of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Al Haj Murad told the delegation that they are certain that something positive will come out from the Bicameral Conference of selected members of the House of Representatives and Senate and come up with an acceptable unified version.

He took note of varied efforts to keep BBL on track to the one drafted by Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).

The MILF chair expressed his gratitude for the visit, and assured the delegation that after the passage of the BBL the organization will comply with the Decommissioning and all Normalization processes.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Sahinkaya presented their accomplishment report to the MILF through Al Haj Murad, and their upcoming activities. Some outputs he shared are their visits made to some MILF Camps.

In a statement, the MILF said it never issued such a warning. The text, attributed to peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal, said the government was preparing to arrest Moros and would launch an all-out war against the MILF after trashing the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

“Don’t believe anything in this text message… There is no truth to this,” the MILF said.

Officers and members of the New People’s Army in Sorsogon province, surrender to government authorities, with their firearms. MICHAEL B. JAUCIAN/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

LEGAZPI CITY – Twenty-two high ranking officers and members of New People’s Army (NPA) operating in Sorsogon province have surrendered at the Tactical Operations Group Bicol headquarters on Monday.

Major General Jesus Manangquil Jr., 9th Infantry Division commander said most of the surrenderers are political officers and squad and platoon leaders operating in Sorsogon province.

“Giving up your arms and returning back to the government is a good move towards peace and progress in the Bicol region and country as well,” he said.

He said the NPA force is getting weak as the recruitment of new members is decreasing.

“We have about 100 regulars who have surrendered and this is a good sign wherein their existence will soon be eliminated,” he said.

He also warned government officials, who support the operation of rebels, to “better stop if they don’t like to be named in public very soon and worst end up in jail.”

Brigadier General Greg Almelor, 903rd Infantry Brigade commander, said the mass surrender was made through the effort initiated by the provincial government of Sorsogon and different stakeholders.

“We have strengthened our information education campaign about the government program where there are a lot of opportunities awaiting for the NPA who would like to become a free citizen,” he said.

“The surrendering of the NPA members is a big welcome for development and it’s a start of peace between the government and rebels,” Mayor Noel Rosal, chairperson of the regional peace and order council, said.

Philippine Navy band members play music to welcome the Russian Navy vessel Admiral Tributs, a large anti-submarine ship, as it docks at the south harbor port area in Metro Manila, Philippines, Jan 3, 2017. Pic: Reuters

THE Philippines is set to acquire its first batch of submarines to modernise the defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) modernisation program amid heightened tensions with China over the South China Sea.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday that the country was looking at South Korea, Russia, and other countries to source the submarines.

Lorenzana said neighbouring nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam had submarines and the Philippines required its own to secure its territories. “We are the only ones that does not have it,” he said.

The Philippines, he said, had recently acquired landing dock vessels for the Philippine Navy such as the BRP Tarlac (LD-601) and BRP Davao del Sur (LD-602) and three frigates, while the Air Force acquired 12 FA-50 fighter jets.

The purchase of the submarines is part of the modernisation programme which include new navy ships, helicopters, planes and equipment for the army.

On Monday, The Philippines also asked Beijing to stop the Chinese coast guard from taking the catch of Filipino fishermen in the disputed Scarborough Shoal, describing such actions as unacceptable.

Local broadcaster GMA News last week aired a report that said Chinese coast guard patrols had made a habit of taking the best catches from fishermen in the area.

Members of the Naval Special Operations Group jump off from a helicopter as part of their capability demonstration during the Philippine Navy’s 120th anniversary in Metro Manila, Philippines May 22, 2018. Source: ReutersThe report included cellphone video reportedly taken by a Filipino fisherman in May that appeared to show two Chinese coast guard personnel boarding his boat and taking some of his catch. Reuters was not able to independently verify the report from GMA.

“We have addressed this issue with the Chinese and we are demanding that the Chinese take steps to stop the Coast Guard from doing these acts,” Harry Roque, a spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte, told a media briefing.

He said China should discipline its coast guard and that such actions were unacceptable, although he added he did not think they amounted to “harassment”.

In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday the coast guard “consistently operated in accordance with the law” and that it was carrying out a “conscientious investigation” into whether the incidents described in the media reports had taken place.

Geng said at a press conference that the coast guard existed to keep peace and order and had in the past provided humanitarian assistance to Philippine fishermen.

China seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches, reflecting tensions in the South China Sea where several countries have overlapping claims.

But relations between China and the Philippines have improved markedly under Duterte, who is negotiating billions of dollars worth of loans, investments and trade deals with China.

From IHS Jane's 360 (Jun 12): South Korean defence firms bid to set up production in the Philippines

South Korean firearms manufacturers S&T Motiv and Dasan Machineries have proposed to establish production facilities in the Philippines to support bids to supply equipment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in comments published in local media on 8 June that the two companies have proposed to establish facilities in partnership with the Philippines state-owned small arms producer, Government Arsenal.The proposed programmes would include technology transfers to the Government Arsenal to support the localised production of firearms and ammunition for the AFP and law enforcement agencies. Lorenzana said the government is evaluating both proposals before a decision on the programme later this year.

THE military and the police yesterday asked the provincial government of Pangasinan to declare the province as an insurgency-free area.

The proposal was made by the Army’s 702nd Brigade and Pangasinan provincial police office during rites held at the provincial capitol in Lingayan town yesterday morning.

1Lt. Catherine Hapin, spokesperson of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division, said a recent assessment of the province’s peace and security status showed the strength of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the province has is already at the “insignificant level.”

“It’s already in the insignificant level. It’s not totally zero, they still have presence but it’s already at the insignificant level that they can no longer influence the community,” Hapin said in a phone interview.

“Once insurgency free, more investors will be enticed to put up business there (in Pangasinan). That’s one of the benefits of this (formal declaration),” Hapin said.

Capt. Jay-ar Ramos, civil military operations officer of the 702nd Brigade, said only 18 NPA rebels have been monitored to be still operating in Pangasinan as of last year.

Ramos said there have so far been no sightings of rebels in the province.

“They’re no longer showing up because the residents are already against them, reporting to us the rebel presence,” he said.

He said the insurgents could have transferred operations to Zambales and Nueva Ecija.

Ramos said the recommendation will be deliberated by the provincial council, after which the council resolution endorsing the recommendation will be forwarded to Pangasinan Gov. Amado I. Espino III for approval.

Once formally declared as insurgency-free, Ramos said the PNP will assume the primary responsibility of addressing potential threats by insurgents in the province.

PEACE negotiators from government and the communist group have agreed to implement a “stand-down agreement” starting Thursday next week as an act of goodwill for the resumption of formal peace talks, according to Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines and chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, who said the agreement was reached during the back-channel talks held last week.

But Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza said government is still finalizing its position on the proposed stand-down agreement with the CPP-NDFP-New People’s Army.

“Hindi pa namin na-finalize (We have not yet finalized) on the government side. Will let you know,” Dureza said in a text message when asked about the agreement. He did not elaborate on the proposed pact, saying the government panel is still in a meeting.

Sison, who has been on self-exile in the Netherlands since the late 80s, said the back-channel talks were “successful.” He declined to give details, saying a joint statement is due to be issued by the government and the NDF.

Pressed on the agreement, Sison said: “(It will be on) June 21, instead of June 14, because of the delayed court permission for the six NDFP consultants to surface and travel.”

Sison was referring to communist leaders Benito Tiamzon, Rafael Baylosis, Alan Jazmines, Randal Echanis, Vicente Ladlad, and Adelberto Silva who were recently allowed by a Manila court to travel abroad to take part in the talks.

“One week stand-down before the June 28-30 formal peace talks in Oslo (Norway)... A stand down is a form of ceasefire...The stand down agreement is an act of mutual goodwill to stimulate the resumption of formal peace talks,” said Sison, replying to questions sent through Facebook messenger.

“It is also to prepare for the coordinated unilateral ceasefires which are a more advanced form of ceasefire. Stand-down means stay where you are and do not shoot at the other side,” Sison also said.

Col. Noel Detoyato, chief of the AFP public affairs office, said there is yet no instruction from higher authorities for the Armed Forces to implement the stand-down order.

Sison earlier said the stand-down agreement will become a coordinated unilateral ceasefire when an interim ceasefire agreement is approved by both sides.

He said the coordinated unilateral ceasefire will advance to a bilateral ceasefire once the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms, one of the substantive agendas in the talks, is signed.

Also, Sison has said the bilateral ceasefire will also depend on the amnesty and release of all political prisoners.

President Duterte ordered government negotiators in April to work towards the resumption of the talks which he terminated in November last year amid series NPA attacks on civilian and military targets.

President Duterte recently suggested anew that the NPA members confine themselves in a camp or a peace zone while peace talks are ongoing, and refrain from bringing firearms when they go out in public.

About 50 suspected New People’s Army rebels yesterday swooped down on the remote Barangay Humay-Humay in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, shot dead a civilian, and inflicted injuries on a newly-elected barangay chairman.

Senior Supt. Raul Tacaca, Negros Oriental provincial police director, yesterday said Mike Jakosalem, a newly-elected barangay chairman of Humay-Humay in Guihulngan, was reported to be in a critical condition, after he was shot by the armed suspects, who claimed to be NPA rebels.

Jakosalem is now being treated for his injuries, at a private hospital in Bacolod City.

Tacaca also reported that a civilian identified as Lenmar Cabasag, a neighbor of Jakosalem, also died, after he was shot by the suspects, who were armed with high-powered firearms.

Police investigation showed that Jakosalem, who was suspected to be a government agent, was tied up and taken out from his residence, where he was shot.

Before leaving the place, the armed group shouted “Mabuhay ang NPA (Long live the NPA)”, Tacaca said.

Supt. Mario Baquiran, Guihulngan City police officer-in-charge, reported that Jakosalem was shot in the head.

The armed NPA rebel reportedly sprayed the houses of Jakosalem and Cabasag with bullets. Ladino Cabasag, brother of Lenmar, and his wife, however, miraculously survived, as they were not hit.

Before his election as Humay-Humay barangay captain, Jakosalem already got threats from the NPA, for being pro-government, Tacaca said.

Humay-Humay, a mountainous barangay about 20 kilometers from Guihulngan City poblacion, is known to be an insurgency-affected area in Negros Oriental.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is allotting 3,000 scholarship slots for members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

"This is the first time we have allotted scholarship slots for them," TESDA Deputy Director General Alvin Feliciano told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday.

Feliciano said the move aims to help uplift the lives of members of the MILF and MNLF, by providing them free training and assessment.

"We want them to get jobs or livelihood, and also to make them active participants of various government programs," he added.

Those who will avail of the scholarship can choose from such courses as agriculture, automotive, construction, tourism, metals and engineering, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration, semiconductor, electronics, furniture and fixtures, garment and textile, health, and social services.

These courses can be taken within 40 days or less, according to TESDA.

The agency eyes MILF and MNLF members from Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga to benefit from this program. They will also be provided with training support fund.

All they have to do is to go to the TESDA office in their areas, and enlist themselves.

Meanwhile, TESDA had also provided scholarships for communist rebel returnees.

"We have offered the same program to the members of the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army)," Feliciano said, pointing out that this time, the agency has allotted slots for the MILF and MNLF.

This photo taken on July 30, 2017 shows guerrillas of the New People's Army (NPA) resting among bushes in the Sierra Madre mountain range, located east of Manila. Noel Celis, Agence France-Presse

MANILA -- A stand-down agreement supposed to be simultaneously announced with Maoist rebels Thursday has been delayed for a week to allow government to ensure the participation of several consultants in the peace talks, the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines said Wednesday.

Most of these consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) are expected to be cleared before Friday to join the talks, said Jose Maria Sison.

"The stand down will begin on June 21, a full week ahead of the June 28 resumption of formal talks in Oslo," he told ABS-CBN News.

Both sides were initially set to announce a stand-down deal Thursday, two weeks ahead of formal negotiations.

But Sison, who joined backchannel talks in The Netherlands last week, said the government sought the new schedule "to have more time for effecting the release" of six NDFP consultants.

Rafael Baylosis was detained earlier this year after negotiations bogged down.

Benito Tiamzon, Adel Silva, Alan Jazmines, Randal Echanis, and Vicente Ladlad could also be arrested since their bail was cancelled in connection with a government petition proscribing the CPP and its armed wing as terrorist organizations.

CEASEFIRE

They were "needed for the polishing" of the coordinated unilateral ceasefire deal, which will form part of the interim peace agreement to be signed on June 28, he said.

Sison said the two sides would spend June 15 to 18 to "polish" the two other components of the interim accord—agreements on agrarian reform and the nationalization of certain industries.

The stand-down agreement precludes government forces and the rebels from committing "any offensive action or operation against combatants and civilians."

Both sides will also "stay where they are" and "take an active defense mode," according to a copy of the deal obtained by ABS-CBN News.

The agreement will then be replaced by a clearer and more binding coordinated unilateral ceasefire deal once formal talks resumed.

From the Manila Bulletin (Jun 12): PNP takes over operation against Communist rebels

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is now preparing for a takeover of the Internal Security Operations (ISO), or the operations against the communist rebels and other threat groups inside the country.

He is referring to the Special Action Force and the Public Safety Units in the regions and the provinces—the two well-trained and well-equipped units of the PNP.

“This is already gradually being turned over to us with regard to Luzon and Visayas. Our police forces have been conducting operations in Luzon and Visayas,” said Albayalde.

He said the PNP’s capability to fully assume the ISO from the military will be further boosted with the recruitment of five more battalions of the Special Action Force (SAF) which is expected to be completed next year.

This is also the reason, according to him, the new police recruits are now mandated to take commando training courses in anticipation as the aim is to make all the incoming policemen ready for attacks by the communist rebels.

“Kaya nga gagawin natin ito to train our new recruits on commando forces of SAF. Whether you will be assigned with the saf or not, they will now undergo the training because of that foredight that eventually the ISO will be returned to us from the military,” said Albayalde.

But Albayalde was quick to stress that it may be a different case in Mindanao, as he insinuated that it will take more time before the PNP could take control of the law and order in Mindanao.

Aside from extremist groups like Maute and Abu Sayyaf, Mindanao is home to two major rebel forces which is the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front.

Another group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), is also yet to be finished off by the military despite several attempts to end it.

Th eastern part of Mindanao, on the other hand, is considered as a stronghold of the New People’s Army.

“The problem is different in Mindanao compared to Visayas and Luzon,” said Albayalde.

There were several attempts in the past administration to prepare the PNP in taking over the ISO in order for the military to focus on external defense amid threats from China.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Philippines armed forces have killed 28 members of the pro-Islamic State Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in military operations to pre-empt attacks by the militants.

They had planned to launch “large-scale and simultaneous bombings” targeting several cities in central Mindanao before the onset of Eid Fitr celebrations this Friday (Jun 15).

The military operations, launched on Sunday, is ongoing as of Tuesday in the Liguasan Marsh that straddles three provinces - Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat - on Mindanao island in the southern Philippines.

“The operation was launched as information from the ground revealed that the BIFF is planning to conduct large-scale, simultaneous bombings in cities … before the celebration of Eid Fitr,” Lieutenant-General Dela Vega, commander of Western Mindanao Command, told Channel NewsAsia.

Military intelligence sources told Channel NewsAsia that the cities targeted by BIFF militants include General Santos, Kidapawan and Cotabato on Mindanao island.

“The (armed forces’) thrust is to rid the area of terrorist groups to prevent them from bringing havoc during the observance of Eid Fitr. They (BIFF) bring nothing but destruction,” said Dela Vega.

“We have to perform our mandate to protect the people,” he added.

The army also carried out air strikes which destroyed an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) factory in the Liguasan Marsh.

One soldier and one civilian were also killed in the clashes. Another three civilians were injured during the three-day operation.

Several M16s, pistols, ammunition, hand grenades and others were seized during the operations

Six members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and a soldier were killed in separate clashes in Maguindanao on Monday.

The Army fatality, Private 1st Class Quitor of the 33rd IB, died from bullet wounds sustained in a gunfight with BIFF bandits in the Liguasan Delta, near the group’s bomb-making facility destroyed by an airstrike before dawn Monday.

Gen. Cirilito Sobejana of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said Tuesday Quitor and his companions were trying to locate at least six BIFF bandits injured in the airstrike when gunmen attacked them from one side of their route, sparking a gunfight.

Local executives and barangay leaders in towns along the Liguasan Delta have confirmed that four Asian foreigners were inside the BIFF’s makeshift storage for improvised explosives devices helicopter gunships flattened with rockets early Sunday.

Barangay officials, among them Moro datus supporting the government's campaign against the BIFF, said three of the more than 50 militants who traded shots with Quitor and his companions, identified only as Bundas, Kamid and Oruk, also got killed.

The incident preceded the foiled attempt, at past 8:00 p.m. Monday, by another group to surround a detachment of the Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Meta in Datu Unsay, Maguindanao.

Soldiers engaged the bandits, led by BIFF Commander Metin, in a running gunfight, killing three of them and wounding two more.

The slain followers of Metin were identified by local officials as Turman Aber, Mansur Mohammad and Kusid Laguiab, also known as Mamalu.

The attack was pulled off by Metin and his men less than a day after local officials warned of retaliations by the BIFF for losses it suffered in Monday’s Army operation in the Liguasan Delta.

The BIFF, who uses the Islamic State flag as revolutionary banner, is feared for its practice of venting ire on civilians to avenge deaths of members in encounters with government forces.

The group, which emerged in 2010, is blamed for all of the bombings in central Mindanao since, perpetrated by members trained in fabrication of IEDs by the slain Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, most known as Marwan.

It has also been trying to sabotage the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

CAMP BANCASI, Butuan City — Combat troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday stepped up their search for the Army soldier and a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary (CAA) who were abducted by Communist New People’s Army Terrorists in Southern Mindanao.

(KJ ROSALES / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

Capt. Jerry S. Lamosao, chief of the Public Affairs Office (PAO) of the Army’s Southern Mindanao 10th Infantry (Agila) Division (10th ID) said field unit commanders operating near the provincial border of Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur and Compostela Valley (ComVal) were ordered to closely coordinate for the all-out search for the abducted soldier and militiaman.

“Maj. Gen. Noel S. Clement, the commanding general of the Army’s southern Mindanao 10th “Agila” Division ordered the command group of the 28th Infantry Battalion (28th IB) to step up their search operation for Cpl. Johannes D. Parreño, a member of the Alpha Company of the 28th IB and his companion, CAA Dindo Malibay, of Purok Banahaw, Sitio Sudlon, Barangay Central, of Mati City,” the 10th ID PAO officer said.

“10th ID will pursue the perpetrators in accordance to our rules of engagement and existing laws until justice is served,” said Capt. Lamosao, in a phone interview with The Manila Bulletin.

“Troops are reminded to be proactive in ensuring personal safety while doing administrative activities,” he added.

Cpl. Parreño and his companion Malibay were traveling back from Mati City to their temporary patrol base in Taguibo area when abducted by an undetermined number of CNTs who established a roadblock along the highway by posing as government soldiers. The two were held hostage and brought to nearby mountain areas in Davao Oriental province.

The two were facilitating the distribution of school bags to pupils of Tubaon Elementary School, Barangay Tubaon, Tarragona, Davao Oriental when abducted by the CNTs.

“The field troops of the 10th ID are trying their best to get back the two government men,” Capt. Lamosao added.

Lt. Col. Miguel L. Ramon, commanding officer of the 28th IB said the abduction of the members of the AFP in noncombat status is a clear indication and manifestation of their desperation and violates the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

The 28th IB commander assured that they will get back the two abducted unarmed government men.

From the Philippine Star (Jun 13): US wary of taking arms against China's domination — study

China's expanding militarization in the South China Sea might complicate the ability of the United States to fulfill its treaty obligations with its allies in the region, including the Philippines.

According to a study published by the US Congressional Research Service titled "Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress," Beijing's control over the East China Sea and South China Sea could have implications for security in the Asia Pacific."...the United States could be drawn into such a crisis or conflict as a result of obligations the United States has under bilateral security ties with Japan and the Philippines," the study read.

The US and the Philippines have been treaty allies since 1951 after signing a Mutual Defense Treaty.

The US congressional study noted that China's domination in the region would complicate the ability of the US to operate its forces in the Western Pacific.

US forces currently operate in the region to maintain regional stability, conduct engagement and partner-building operations, respond to crises and execute war plans.

"Developments such as these could in turn encourage countries in the region to reexamine their own defense programs and foreign policies, potentially leading to a further change in the region's structure," the report read.

This pronouncement comes should crisis or conflict arise between China and Taiwan or other US allies such as Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.

The report also noted some observers' conerns that China may be using the maritime disputes raise doubts among US allies in the region over the dependability of Washington as an ally or partner.

The US congressional study also warned that Beijing may be driving a wedge between Washington and its regional allies and partners "to weaken US-led regional security architecture and thereby facilitate greater Chinese influence over the region."

Beijing, on the other hand, has been insisting that its military installations on man-made islands in the South China Sea are not directed to any country.

In the past months, China has deployed anti-cruise ship missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and electronic jamming equipment on its bases in the Spratly Islands. Beijing had also landed a nuclear-capable bomber on Paracel Islands, its largest outpost in the Paracel Islands.

This has pushed the US to disinvite China from the Rim of the Pacific Exercises, the largest multinational maritime exercise.

Beijing has since called out Washington for "playing up" the maritime dispute over the South China Sea.

"We urge certain people in the US to give up all the meaningless hyping up surrounding the situation and do more in a responsible way to enhance trust and cooperation between regional countries and promote regional peace and stability," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Meanwhile, European countries have started to assert freedom of navigation and challenge China's increasing militarization in the disputed waterway.

During the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore earlier this month, France and the United Kingdom expressed commitment to continue to sail in the contested waters.

In fact, France has sailed at least ships through the South China Sea last year, according to French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly.

"We believe negotiations are the way to go. Meanwhile, we should be clear that the fait accompli is not a fait accepted," Parly said in the defense and security summit.

"Europeans have started to mobilize more widely in support of this endeavor... I believe we should broaden this effort even further," she added.

Cabunoc said Quitor was part of Alpha Company led by 1Lt. Alessandro Cruzada that pursued the small band of terrorists in the marshy terrain of Maguindanao on Monday following air and ground assaults in the Liguasan marshland.

After the bombing, the BIFF terrorists ran to different directions and clash with 33rd IB troopers blocking force. A close quarter battle ensued that killed 15 terrorists and also caused Quitor’s death.

"He volunteered as the point man of the patrol despite the high risks involved in the operations. His bravery will be emulated by the rest of my troops," Cabunoc said.

He said Army and police troopers were tracking the enemies inside the bushy area of the marshland that was reported as the hiding place of the fleeing terrorists when the encounter occurred.

Cabunoc said soldiers had to wade through chest deep murky water to locate the concealed positions of the terrorists that were protecting a targeted BIFF bomb-making factory that was destroyed by a military airstrike.

“We are adapting in this new battlefield condition through innovations in tactics and equipment. We are drawing lessons from this experience,” Cabunoc said.

Military informants said that Salahuddin Hassan alias “Orak” and some foreign jihadists are still trapped in the area after their boats were destroyed by the airstrikes and artillery bombardments the past two days.

Soldiers also recovered a .30-caliber Garand rifle in the vicinity of the encounter site and are still looking for other injured armed men.

Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Army 6th Infantry Division commander, has extended his condolences to the bereaved family members of Quitor. "We have lost a gentleman and a warrior today. He will never be forgotten," he said.

The Army claimed to have so far killed 17 BIFF elements during air and ground strikes in the marshland of Maguindanao on Sunday and Monday. Eight others were injured and two were arrested.

Cabunoc said Quitor was part of Alpha Company led by 1Lt. Alessandro Cruzada that pursued the small band of terrorists in the marshy terrain of Maguindanao on Monday following air and ground assaults in the Liguasan marshland.

After the bombing, the BIFF terrorists ran to different directions and clash with 33rd IB troopers blocking force. A close quarter battle ensued that killed 15 terrorists and also caused Quitor’s death.

"He volunteered as the point man of the patrol despite the high risks involved in the operations. His bravery will be emulated by the rest of my troops," Cabunoc said.

He said Army and police troopers were tracking the enemies inside the bushy area of the marshland that was reported as the hiding place of the fleeing terrorists when the encounter occurred.

Cabunoc said soldiers had to wade through chest deep murky water to locate the concealed positions of the terrorists that were protecting a targeted BIFF bomb-making factory that was destroyed by a military airstrike.

“We are adapting in this new battlefield condition through innovations in tactics and equipment. We are drawing lessons from this experience,” Cabunoc said.

Military informants said that Salahuddin Hassan alias “Orak” and some foreign jihadists are still trapped in the area after their boats were destroyed by the airstrikes and artillery bombardments the past two days.

Soldiers also recovered a .30-caliber Garand rifle in the vicinity of the encounter site and are still looking for other injured armed men.

Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Army 6th Infantry Division commander, has extended his condolences to the bereaved family members of Quitor. "We have lost a gentleman and a warrior today. He will never be forgotten," he said.

The Army claimed to have so far killed 17 BIFF elements during air and ground strikes in the marshland of Maguindanao on Sunday and Monday. Eight others were injured and two were arrested.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao--Four members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were killed in a clash with elements of the Army 57th Infantry Battalion (IB) following harassment incidents on military detachments Monday night in the province.

Capt. Arvin John Encinas, Army’s 6th Infantry Division spokesman, said the harassment was a clear retaliatory attack against military installations in Maguindanao following an aerial bombing run in the past two days in suspected BIFF positions in the vast Liguasan Marsh bordering the towns of Pagalungan and Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun.

Soldiers manning detachments of the 57th IB in the adjoining towns of Datu Unsay and Datu Hoffer in Maguindanao traded shots with undetermined number of BIFF at past 8 p.m. Monday.

Encinas said the BIFF first attacked the 5th IB in Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay, triggering an hour-long firefight. “We could not say if the attackers suffered fatalities or injuries but there was no casualty on the government side,” he said.

While firefight was going on in Barangay Meta, another band of BIFF harassed another 57th IB detachment manned by militiamen in Barangay Limpongo, Datu Hofer.

Military reports said four BIFF fighters were killed in the clash, while two civilians were executed by the armed group.

The BIFF casualties were identified as Turman Aber and Mansor Mohammad while the cadaver of a certain Mamalu and another unidentified militant were carried away by their fleeing comrades.

The civilians, whose identities were not immediately known as of posting, were on board a motorbike fleeing the village of Limpongo when gunned down BIFF elements. They were rushed by responding soldiers to Maguindanao provincial hospital but were both declared dead on arrival.

Abu Misry Mama, speaking for the BIFF, admitted it was his group that harassed the Army bases and admitted that only two and not four, as reported by the military, were killed in the Limpongo incident.

Encinas said all Army units surrounding the Maguindanao marshland have been placed on heightened alert in anticipation for future BIFF retaliatory attacks.

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 12): Locals' help sought to ‘subdue’ NPAs in Cordillera

An aerial view of Sagada town in Mountain Province in Cordillera

PINUKPUK, Kalinga -- The Philippine Army in the Cordillera has again sought the community’s vigilance and support against the proliferation of members of the rebel New People’s Army (NPA) in the region.

This, as one policeman and nine other cops, including a police colonel, were killed in an encounter last June 5 between the NPA and the joint forces of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion and the Mountain Province Provincial Mobile Force Company.“No LGUs and barangay officials would be proud to say that their area is infested with NPA because it is a negative mark on the locality and at the same time the people are denied of business, peace, and opportunities. That is what we do, partner our effort with the LGUs,” said Brig. Gen. Leopoldo Imbang, commander of the 503rd Brigade covering the Cordillera, in an exclusive interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Imbang said residents' cooperation is of utmost importance, since they are the ones living in the communities, which should be peaceful.

"It will be a concerted effort lalo na ng community doon na (especially the community that) they have to help the police, lalo na sila yung andun madalas (especially since they are always there). Importante dito (What's important here is), in order for it to be successful, it must be an integrated effort of the AFP, PNP, and the LGU,” Imbang said.

Citing Army records, Imbang said the NPAs in the Cordillera are mostly in the far-flung sitios, at the boundaries with other provinces in northern Luzon.

This, he said, is why the Army has patrol and security operations at these sites.

He added the permanent detachments of the Philippine Army are in Abra, Kalinga, and Ifugao, but there is none in Mountain Province or in Sagada, where the recent encounter happened.

Imbang explained that analyzing the situation in the Cordillera, the provinces are generally peaceful.

“Sa region, we have managed the security well, although there are some incidents like in Sagada, wherein a security patrol of the police doing barangay visitations had an encounter with the NPA,” he said.

He said residents play an important role in keeping peace and order in the community, especially in giving information on the presence of rebels in their villages or the presence of strangers.

Imbang said that based on the report of the wounded policemen, the persons they encountered were speaking in the Filipino, which is unlikely that they are Cordillerans but are personalities coming from the lowlands, from Metro Manila, or other parts of the Visayas.

He said the PNP and the AFP share intelligence and operational information, working together to ensure the safety of the community.

Imbang assured that the PNP will not stop doing their job despite the casualties.

He said the PNP is mandated to be in the community and those who had an encounter with the NPAs went to the area to confirm information on the presence of NPAs. But then, he said, the leftists were already positioned.

Imbang said the NPA situation in Sagada needs to be addressed fast, as it destroys the province’s reputation and at the same time breaks the peace in the community.

Sagada is highly visited by tourists, both local and foreign, due to its idyllic nature.

“Cordillerans are peace-loving people and they refuse the NPAs,” Imbang noted.

Kalinga police director Senior Supt. Alfredo Dangani told the PNA the provincial cops are on alert, especially after the incident.

He said unannounced checkpoints are regularly conducted as a way to keep criminals and leftist rebels at bay.

The Kalinga police, Dangani added, is also doing border patrol on a 24-hour basis, especially at night.

“Deployment and operations are intelligence driven, based on report sharing and fusion with the AFP, to preempt major crime incidents,” he said.

CAMP GEN. CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal – Tanay Mayor Rex Manuel C. Tanjuatco on Tuesday extolled the heroism of soldiers of the 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division (2ID) and other government troops in the liberation of Marawi City from enemies of the state.

Tanjuatco, 2ID commander Major Gen. Rhoderick M. Parayno, and other government officials led the hoisting of the Philippine flag during the 120th Philippine Independence Day celebration at the grounds of the Tanay Municipal Hall here.

In his address, the mayor lauded the bravery of the soldiers during the Marawi siege, referring to them as “the new heroes in our midst”.

“Kung hindi sa tapang at husay ng ating mga sundalo (If not for the bravery and competence of our soldiers), Marawi City would have fallen, and probably other cities in Mindanao as well,” he said.

Tanjuatco also acknowledged the efforts of the 2ID in maintaining peace and security in the region against the New People’s Army.

Joining the town’s “Independence Day” festivities were local officials, members of the military and police, teachers, students, veterans, senior citizens, and members of non-government organizations.

Meanwhile, 2ID Public Affairs Office chief, Capt. Patrick Jay M. Retumbano reported that 2ID officers, enlisted personnel and civilian employees also conducted the raising of the Philippine flag and the singing of the National Anthem in observance of Independence Day at the 2ID quadrangle inside the camp. http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1038037

SAN NARCISO, Quezon - An incumbent barangay chairman was gunned down Monday afternoon while on a visit to his brother's house in Barangay Busokbusokan of this town.

Quezon Police Provincial Director Senior Supt. Osmundo de Guzman identified the victim as Ruben Carabido, 53, married and the current Barangay Binay chairman.

Police investigation disclosed that the village chief was visiting his brother Noli when eight unidentified suspects, wearing black T-shirts with New People’s Army (NPA) logo, boots and cap and carrying long firearms, arrived.

The triggermen then shot the village chief thrice, hitting him on the head, killing him on the spot.

Police investigators are looking into the involvement of the New People’s Army (NPA) hit squad in the death of a village leader and driver who were ambushed in Barangay Magtuod, this city on June 7.

City Chief of Police Alexander Tagum in a text message, on Tuesday, said the investigation focuses on the involvement of the NPA in the killing of barangay captain Reynaldo Tulang Dumagan of Barangay Talandang, Tugbok District and his driver Ferando Suganod.

Dumagan, his family members were on board a Barangay Disaster vehicle on their way to Davao Airport to fetch a relative when armed men in a red pick-up vehicle opened fire. Dumagan and Suganod died on the spot.

Dumagan, according to Tagum, was reportedly affiliated with the NPA but was later suspected to have turned a government informant.

Dumagan, who was on his third term as barangay captain, ran for a barangay council seat in the last barangay elections and won. His daughter was elected as the new barangay captain.

Initial investigation showed that Dumagan received a death threat five days before his death.

Tagum said the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) formed to probe the incident has one month to submit its findings.

In an interview on Friday, Undersecretary Eduardo Año, officer-in-charge of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), vowed justice for Dumagan.

Año assured that barangay officials who are resisting the communist insurgency will always have the support of the government.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao--The Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) has issued the green light for the more than 30,000 civilians displaced by recent hostilities in Maguindanao to return home.

“We ask our people to return home now; it is now safe to return to your communities,” Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, 6ID commander, said in a radio interview here Wednesday.

More than 30,000 individuals have deserted their homes in at least six towns in Maguindanao and in Pikit, North Cotabato after the Army launched a three-day air and ground assaults against IS-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in the boundary of the two provinces.

Sobejana said the operation was coordinated properly with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) because the targeted BIFF areas are near acknowledged MILF communities.

Tim Ambolodto, Maguindanao disaster response unit officer, said about 15,000 civilians were affected in the province alone. For her part, Tahira Kalantongan, disaster officer of Pikit, North Cotabato, said over 10,000 people were displaced from six villages of the municipality near the Liguasan marshland.

At least 24 persons have died, 22 of whom are BIFF members, a civilian and a soldier.

Military airstrikes, artillery fire, and ground troop movements that began on Sunday (June 10) destroyed the strategic strongholds of the BIFF in the Liguasan marsh area, the Army said.

The military’s “surgical” operation destroyed a weapon and bomb-making factory of the terrorists’ south of the marshland. “Very soon, the area will be normalized,” Sobejana said.

Tension broke as early as 6 a.m. on Wednesday, when more than 200 members of the informal settlers’ and urban poor group Kadamay attempted to occupy the vacant housing units allocated for members of the military and police force in a government socialized housing project in Barangay San Isidro in this town.

Clad in helmets and protective shields, local police and its civil disturbance units (CDUs), led by the town chief of police Supt. Pablito Naganag, immediately secured the area and diffused tension between the aggressive Kadamay members and Barangay San Isidro and homeowners association officials.

As local police force and barangay officials pacified the parties, they also coordinated with the homeowners in prodding Kadamay members who “invaded” the unoccupied housing units to vacate the houses, since these units were already awarded to the rightful housing beneficiaries.

Homeowners explained they were among the early beneficiary occupants of some 700 socialized housing units, while other rightful owners are expected to settle in as soon as documents and the proper turnover procedures are completed.

They also denounced the forcible occupation of the vacant units by the aggressive Kadamay members without the necessary documents pursuant to socialized housing occupancy guidelines to ensure the unit is habitable. This means the basic electrical, plumbing, toilet, and faucet connections are in place.

The homeowners association members explained that housing unit awardees like them must comply with the process on documentary requirements and payment terms and cannot just barge into the vacant unit and claim it.

As of noontime, some Kadamay members who retreated from occupying the vacant houses joined the other members who were barricading at the entrance of the housing site and refused to yield as they demanded local authorities and the National Housing Authority (NHA) to hear their plea.

As of press time, the Kadamay members were in a standoff, some of them bringing in personal belongings and kitchen utensils, thinking they could occupy the housing units, amid confusion brought by their leaders’ assurance that their eventual relocation got the blessing from the Rodriguez local government.

NHA community relations division representative Chris Guevarra, who was on site, said all the housing units have already been awarded to the qualified beneficiaries and belied claims by the Kadamay members that these are still available to them.

Meanwhile, Gloria Arellano, National Chairman of the Kadamay group, said in a media interview that they have supported the occupation by their members at the housing site here, insisting some of their members have applied through the Rodriguez local government unit (LGU) and the NHA.

Arellano admitted that as the housing project would be turned over to the LGU, they have requested for the housing project to be secured so that no unscrupulous person could just settle in the housing project.

“Kaya po kami nag-rarally para aksiyonan naman yung aming mga hinaing,” Arellano reasoned out, as she reported the slow response to their petition in behalf of Kadamay members who merely found these housing units that are unoccupied yet without verifying from proper authorities.

She explained that the Kadamay members who are now barricading near the San Isidro housing site are those who have sought application for their relocation allegedly based on a Palace resolution pending to be signed by the President to provide affordable housing units that are up for occupancy to the poor sector.

The historic Battle of Bessang, the greatest victory scored by Filipino guerrillas against the mighty Japanese Imperial Army in World War II, will be commemorated with elaborate ceremony in Ilocos Sur on Thursday at the site where the battle occurred 73 years ago.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has designated Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana to represent him during the anniversary celebration at Bessang Pass, in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, according to retired Brig. Gen. Resty Aguilar, chief of Veterans and Historical Division of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), in Camp Aguinaldo.

It was in Bessang Pass, the strategic mountain fortress in Ilocos Sur occupied by the Japanese during the Second World War, that Filipino guerrillas mounted a series of attacks that lasted for almost six months from Jan. 1, 1945 until June 14, 1945 when the Japanese forces were crushed.

American warplanes and artillery bombardment supported the brave Filipino guerrillas who engaged the Japanese soldiers during the last few days of the fighting that culminated in the victory of the Filipinos on June 14, 1945.

This writer was commissioned by retired Lt. Gen. Nesty Carolina, PVAO administrator, to write a book about the historic event entitled “Victory at Bessang Pass” which was launched at Fully Booked Store at Global City in Taguig in 2013.

The same book was also launched by the author that same year in Washington, DC with then Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Cusia as guest of honor and speaker.

Incidentally, Lorenzana, who was then the PVAO representative in Washington, helped in the launching of the book.

The author was also fortunate to interview some of the aging heroes of Bessang Pass before they died of old age.

Retired Army Brig. Gen. Arnulfo Bañez, one of the few remaining Bessang Pass heroes, now 94, was the special guest during the Independence Day celebration of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Officers’ Club (BSPOC) at the BSP building in Manila last June 13.

Dr. Gregory Suarez III, BSPOC president, expressed happiness that Bañez accepted and attended the celebration focusing on the great victory of Filipino guerrillas at Bessang Pass 73 years ago.

Although the Battle at Bessang Pass was the biggest victory scored by Filipino guerrillas during World War II, its annual celebration is lot simpler than the fall of Bataan and Corregidor where Filipino and American defenders suffered crushing defeats.

While the Battle of Bessang was one of the most successful military operations mounted by a handful of Filipino guerrillas against the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II, their daring exploits were not historically put in proper perspective as it should have been.

The success was greatly owed to the guerrilla unit led by a young 26-year old intrepid agriculturist by the name of Emilio M. Narcise, who spearheaded the dawn assault on heavily guarded Bessang Pass on June 14, 1945.

Bessang Pass, a strategic inland area in Ilocos Sur, was occupied by Japanese forces shortly after they invaded the Philippines in December 1945. Bessang Pass was heavily fortified that there was no way it could be retaken by the badly crushed Filipino and American guerrilla forces following the fall of Bataan and Corregidor.

For almost four years from 1942 to 1945, Japanese forces ruthlessly occupied the Philippines. Filipino and American soldiers who escaped from the Battle of Bataan before its fall on April 9, 1942, and those who evaded the "Death March" from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac, joined the guerrilla movement in Luzon.

Those who survived the fall of Corregidor, an island fortress in Manila Bay off Bataan, also joined various guerrilla units to fight the Japanese.

The guerrilla units were poorly armed and were lacking in other logistics. But they banked their hope on the promise of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's famous words "I shall return" to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese invaders.

MacArthur slipped from Bataan shortly before its fall to Australia aboard a PT boat of the United States Navy on his way to America not only to get war materials for the Philippines but to fulfill his promise to the Filipinos to liberate them from the clutches of the Japanese occupational forces.

The battles of Bataan and Corregidor were the most colorful of all the battles between the combined forces of Filipino and American fighting men and the Japanese Imperial Army, although the Japanese triumphed.

Nonetheless, the two battles demonstrated the bravery of the Filipino and American soldiers who fought side-by-side against a superior enemy force. The fight was in defense of freedom and democracy as Japan was fully determined to conquer the whole of Asia, including China. At the outset, they succeeded only to be defeated in the end.

But the historic Battle of Bessang Pass was unique. Foremost, it was highly successful. The battle was carried out by some 100 Filipino guerrillas led by Narcise, who joined the guerrilla unit in 1944, a year before the Liberation.

It is about time to reflect on the historic Battle of Bessang Pass for Filipinos to celebrate the occasion on a nationwide scale in honor of all Filipinos and Americans who fought with valor and put their lives on the line during the Second World War to defend freedom and democracy.